SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. — Teams from the Central Puget Sound Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Cascadia Research Collective and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife responded to a report of stranded fin whale on Samish Island near Samish Bay on May 5, 2026.
The subadult male whale reportedly stranded alive on a gravel beach on May 4, 2026. The whale died while responders were enroute to the scene.
The whale carcass is said to be 61 feet long and weighs 40 tons. The animal was described as being emaciated.
Following a necropsy, the carcass will be left to decompose naturally.
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Fin whales are the 2nd largest animal on earth, which limits options for moving or freeing stranded animals.
According to NOAA Fisheries, large whales may strand alive for a number of reasons, including the following.
- complex topographic and oceanographic conditions
- contaminants
- weather conditions
- natural toxins such as domoic acid or saxitoxin poisoning
- disease, emaciation or malnourishment
- human-caused injuries
The NOAA West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network was established in the early 1990s under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Members of the network respond to marine mammal stranding events along the California, Oregon, and Washington coasts and are part of a nationwide network. The Network responds to all large whale cases to better understand what factors may have contributed to the stranding.
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